![]() This means getting together with friends or calling them. I have had to learn to reach out when I need to. As an introvert and someone who deals with high levels of anxiety, it is easy for me to keep myself isolated and alone. It is said that the Northern aspect of the Medicine Wheel deals with the spiritual. I had to remember the teachings I had been given by the Indigenous professor who originally taught me about it and by other mentors and Elders I had seen over the years. I physically and mentally had to keep a picture of what I had been taught, not only in my mind but also on my bedroom wall. I started to adopt the teachings of the Medicine Wheel. I had to learn how to build myself up and keep myself strong. I thought the worst of myself because instead of putting others first, I was taking the time to pay attention to myself, and the feedback I got was not always the greatest. ![]() I was afraid of upsetting people, and of them being angry with me. It took me awhile to digest that thought. My therapist smiled, shook her head, and said, “No, that is what you have been raised to believe by some people who don’t know themselves and what healthy boundaries are.” I looked at her and said, “But self-care, that’s being selfish!” ![]() Take time for yourself, do what you need to do in order for you to feel good about yourself.” She said “Christine, when it comes to recovery and healing, don’t be afraid to put yourself first. In the early stages of my healing journey from eating disorders, depression and anxiety, a psychiatrist I see brought forth the concept of self-care. I feel that the Western model of medicine pushes the concept that if “you take this pill, you’ll feel better,” or “if you don’t participate in this treatment, then shame on you.” The Western model of medicine lacks the spiritual connection that is often sought when an Indigenous person is struggling or ill. According to the book “ The Sacred Tree,” written by Phil Lane, Jr, Judie Bopp, Michael Bopp, Lee Brown and Elders “there are many different ways that this basic concept is expressed: the four grandfathers, the four winds, the four cardinal directions, and many other relationships that can be expressed in sets of four,” and “the medicine wheel can be used to help us see or understand things we can’t quite see or understand because they are ideas and not physical objects.”Īs a First Nations woman, I find this to be quite different from the Western modality of medicine in which I was raised. ![]() Each must be in balance and equally developed in order for us to remain healthy, happy individuals. The Medicine Wheel teaches us that we have four aspects to ourselves: the physical, the mental, the emotional, and the spiritual. I’ve learned that not all Nations use the Medicine Wheel because it can be viewed as a colonialist structure, but those who do follow it, do so according to their own teachings and what has been passed down to them through their Elders and medicine people. This circle of knowledge means that we use it as a tool and as a system for passing on knowledge.The Medicine Wheel is an ancient symbol used by some of the Native people of North and South America. This represents the personal power that we each possess to learn about the different attributes and have control over our states of being to maintain our happiness. For example, in order to exist on Earth, all four elements are needed and not only are they needed, they also need to be in balance. We need to be aware of each set of attributes and what they teach us. We can be aware of our own balance and help steer ourselves toward a more balanced life. Mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional and in order to be happy, we need all four of those states to be balanced. The circle also represents our own awareness of ourselves and our state's. Similar to the circular nature of the seasons and the life cycles. Our spirits live forever, on Earth, and then into the spirit world. We believe that life continues on and on. Indigenous people of North America looked to this circle as a reminder that everything flows in a circle. The circle represents the circle of life, the circle of self-awareness, and the circle of knowledge. South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands (GBP £)
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